This page requires JavaScript to run properly. JavaScript is disabled in your browser.

Cheap Trick - New Years Eve @ Jannus Live

Reset Earliest VOD Expiration Date for Event

Event Time

Dec 31, 2011 10:00 PM EST

Venue

Jannus Live

Location

Tampa, Fla

Date Available OnDemand

Jan 01, 2012 1:00 AM EST

Event Type

Show

Price

US$9.99

Availability

Available in all countries

Please test your video playback BEFORE you buy -- Click here!

Event Videos and Bouts

Cheap Trick - New Years Eve @ Jannus Live: Full Concert

Event Description

By: Justin Grant
In the spirit of their more elaborate recent performances (such as their live reproduction of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), Cheap Trick began performing the Dream Police album in its entirety a few months ago, to sold-out crowds and wide critical acclaim.

On New Year's Eve, it was time for St. Petersburg to get a chance to watch the band blast through their landmark album at Jannus Live, complete with no less than a full backing orchestra named, no joke, 'the Bombastic Symphonic Philharmonic with the Rhythmic Noise Mind Choir in 4D.'

The band took to the stage around 10 p.m.,with a pre-recorded version of Heaven Tonight as the opener, after which the large curtain obscuring the stage (specially constructed for the evening's show, in order to accommodate the orchestra) dropped, and the band launched into Dream Police's titular anthem.

Drummer Bun E. Carlos is no longer touring with the band (despite remaining a permanent member for studio recordings); his replacement was none other than guitarist Rick Neilsen's son, Daxx, who did a remarkable job of filling Bun E.'s shoes. The rest of the band, including vocalist Robin Zander, decked out in a white police uniform like the one from the Dream Police album cover, were at the top of their game, hitting every note and punching out the classics with an enthusiasm that would make you think they were playing them for the first time.

It was a treat to see the band perform songs from the album that donÃ?????Ã????Ã???Ã??Ã?Â¢??t often appear in their live shows; and the big favorites, from Voices to Need Your Love sounded fantastic. Cheap Trick's penchant for non-stop touring was evident, as the band was polished, energetic, and to-the-point.

The orchestra was a great touch, adding depth to the more orchestral moments from the material, while beefing up the sound of the more straightforward numbers. But Cheap Trick's lean, muscular sound tended to cut through all of the other instruments at times, occasionally making you forget that an orchestra was even present.

After Dream Police, the band went on to perform classics from their back-catalog, from their early hit, I Want You To Want Me, to Surrender and mega-ballad The Flame. The show was so captivating that many had forgotten to watch the time, only realizing that the new year had arrived when the band launched into a rendition of Auld Lang Syne no countdown, just Cheap Trick.

Cheap Trick lived up to their reputation as a top live act, and then some. It was a spectacle befitting the celebration of the new year, as well as a testament to the legacy of a truly classic album and the band that made it.